b'MARKET NEWS2023s Huge Crop Influencing Planting Plans for 2024Last falls record processing crop across the Pacific Northwest is shaping current stores, export opportunities, product movement and planting plans for the year ahead.BY: MADELEINE BAERGTHOUGH TOTAL POTATO holdingsCanada is downprovinces are expected to follow suit.were down in the east at the end of February,about 1.4% The indication out of the Pacific the wests great big pile of Harvest 2023Northwest and Alberta would yes, say, processing spuds means Canada-wide werein movement processing acres will be down in most up 10 per cent year-over-year as Februaryoverall comparinglocations, says Stamper. turned to March. 2024 to 2023 The carryover of processing potatoes, Overall disappearance (movement) ofwhich is likely to extend into September, Canadian potatoes in February was down inwill impact early planting. the east compared to the same time in 2023No one is rushing planting, says and up in the west slightly. Canada is downStamper.about 1.4 per cent in movement overall New Brunswick hasFresh acreage is expected to be flat this comparing 2024 to 2023again largelyyear, mostly because there isnt a lot of driven by the processing sector.70-80% physical space for growth in acreage. The goal now is to work through theof processing acres P.E.I. is obviously at their capacity on processing surplus, with some movementthe Island, says Stamper. New Brunswick from the west going to fill holes in the east. is moving more and more to processing acres: theyre 70-80 per cent processing now. Fresh Potatoesmovement remained down 2.2 per cent atQuebec has one of the larger fresh sectors, The fresh market is currently well balanced,the end of February.but again is limited in terms of their ability with prices holding fairly strong. Total Last year, there was a lot of pressureto expand into available land. Manitoba Im holdings are down on a year-over-year basis.to book seed because there were feelingshearing is likely to stay fairly flat.What that number doesnt differentiate,of shortages, and wed already had a year however, is what percentage of the recordedof shortage the season previous. This year,International Competitionmovement is based on actual sales and whattheres been less feeling of pressure. PeopleIn terms of pricing, Canadian processing is, in fact, based on a high cull rate, sayshave perhaps been holding off, hoping pricesproducers have so far fared better than their Victoria Stamper, general manager of thewould come down. But March is the bigAmerican counterparts, perhaps because United Potato Growers of Canada.month. Itll be the March disappearanceCanadian supply is more balanced than our What Im hearing from P.E.I. is thatthats really key for the seed group to makesouthern neighbours, says Stamper. their stores are holding better than theysure that things are moving the way theyreIn the U.S., the russet price in particular had expected given the issues at harvest,supposed to move, says Stamper. dropped significantly. They were starting she says. New Brunswick has had definiteOne other factor, which isnt yetfrom a very, very high number so the challenges: they had a lot of issues likeimpacting seed numbers significantly butpercentage decreases look enormous. Still, hollow heart in their processing crop, butcould soon, is overall planted acres.here in Canada we didnt feel the impact even in the fresh russets there have beenCertified seed acres planted has been onquite as much. Prices have definitely gone challenges. Quebecs holdings numbersthe decrease the last two years. Its a trend wedown from the highs of last year, but not to are up, which is kind of surprising becausewant to keep an eye on, says Stamper.the degree they did in the U.S. theyve had the same issues as NewThe glut impacted Canadian exports. Brunswick. Planting Plans 2024 That said, a light crop in Europe due to Going into 2024s growing season, 2023excessive rain especially at harvest opens Seed Potatoes carryover will have some impact on planteddifferent export opportunities for Canadian With the exception of Alberta, which startsacres of processing spuds. As of the end ofproduct, says Stamper.shipping seed in October, January wasMarch, only Alberta had completed contractWith that short crop in Europe, slow for seed movement. Numbers pickednegotiations, with overall contracted acrehopefully theres some ability for Canada to up somewhat in February, but overall seedvolumes down in that province. The othertake back market share globally.52SPUDSMART.COMSpring 2024'